About

Six months agoIn June 2008, I graduated college believing I had finally found my path and would finally start my “real adult life” complete with a real job, real paycheck, and real independence. Blame the economy or just an ever-changing job market, but here I am, jobless and still waiting for that “real adult life” to start. I’ve had plenty of time for reflection and worry and questions. While I am still navigating my way through my quarter-life crisis and trying to discover where my life is supposed to go and what it is supposed to mean, I have discovered, or, rather, rediscovered, my love for cooking.

I took an interest in cooking from a young age and have always loved experimenting with new flavors and recipes. Some of my very first memories are of making candy with my great grandmother in my grandma’s kitchen. I like the act of cooking; I view it as a creative process and enjoy the chance to put my own unique flair into everything I make. There is something very therapeutic and relaxing about “slaving over a hot stove” or taking the time to finely chop vegetables by hand. It is immensely rewarding to see, smell, and taste the product of my labor, and when the world is crazy around me, I find focus and quiet in the kitchen.

I also enjoy eating. A lot. Probably too much, actually. Like many foodies and chefs alike, the act of cooking leads to the act of eating which, in my case, has led to a need for Weight Watchers. I am gradually learning how to lighten up my recipes and add flavor without a lot of extra calories and fat. At first I struggled to find recipes that were figure friendly and still sounded appetizing. With the help of Cooking Light, Weight Watchers, and various other bloggers around the cybersphere as well as a new-found knowledge for how to substitute most ingredients for lighter versions, I have begun to really enjoy cooking and eating light.

I started this blog to chronicle my time in the kitchen. Most of what I make will be “light” or “Weight Watchers friendly”, but, of course, there are always exceptions. Life just wouldn’t be worth living, in my opinion, without full-fat mac and cheese every once and again. I am not a nutritionist or a health expert. I am an average mid-20s woman who struggles to balance eating better with going out for beer and wings with friends. I cohabitate with a mid-20s man who refuses to eat most fruits or vegetables has only recently begun to tackle green foods without hesitation and snacks constantly while staying rail thin. I tend to prefer savory dishes or anything with cheese while he could eat sweets and chocolate all day, every day. While we both enjoy cooking, we differ in the amount of culinary ability we came into the relationship with: I feel pretty confident in the kitchen with or without a recipe; he needs cookbooks with titles like “Everyone Can Cook” and “How to Boil Water”.

In writing this “about” page, I was trying to define what this blog will be. I’ve never been good at thesis paragraphs, and this is a similar challenge. While I still cannot identify exactly what this blog will be, I can tell you what it won’t be. It won’t be this:

WW has come a long way in the past thirty years, and I'm glad that light fare is much more appetizing now.

Hey Liz – I’m your new blog “mentor” from the Adopt-a-Blogger event at Dine & Dish. I just wanted to say hi, looks like you have lots of amazing recipes on your blog! Thought we could exchange emails – shoot me a note at marisblogs@yahoo.com whenever you’d like and feel free to stop by my blog.

While it is a bummer to not be employed when you want to be, I think it is wonderful that you are doing this blog. It takes such discipline and focus! Your approach is great: balancing a love of food and cooking with a health conscious eye.

I think you are my soul sister…cheese makes everything exceptional!!!!!!!!!!! My boyfriend also refuses to give vegetables love but he is a big boy. I try to get him foods with a little nutrition and when we start to live with each other I think we will both get better :-)